


Sunlike

by zenzenzence



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hunay, In Which The Balmera Came To Earth Years Ago And Still Remains, Mentioned Sheith, Timeskips, Voltron Secret Santa 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 08:56:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17220851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenzenzence/pseuds/zenzenzence
Summary: Theirs is a warm, bright love.Or: The Balmera has become a part of the Earth's Solar System, and it was only a matter of time before Hunk and Shay lit up each other's world.





	Sunlike

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NightPanda13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightPanda13/gifts).



> Happy Holidays, nightpanda13!
> 
> Hello! I'm your Secret Santa! I hope you enjoy this fic! It was a lot of fun to write!

Hunk remembers hot summers spent listening to his grandmother’s tales of her youth, of the days when space travel was less advanced and less frequent, of the days it was only the moon that orbited the Earth.

And of the day that changed.

Hunk spares a glance out the window in the middle of his calculus class at the Garrison, up at the green and yellow not-planet visible against the clear blue sky. The Balmera.

As his grandmother had said, there had been a global panic of a space invasion when scientists had noticed what was thought to be an alien planet slowly approaching from the edges of the galaxy; the fear had peaked when the course shifted straight for Earth. Weeks slowly passed with the large mass revolving around the planet, not close enough to alter the moon’s own path, but still. Close enough to be worrisome.

His grandmother could still remember the television broadcasts with astronauts venturing to explore the foreign land. There had been baited breath.

It was discovered that the “planet” was actually a Balmera, an ancient, petrified space creature that had a symbiotic relationship with its reptilian humanoid inhabitants. It was one of many. This Balmera had been X-95-Vox.

Thankfully, it had been kind-hearted and open-minded astronauts who had made first contact with the extraterrestrials, for peace and friendship quickly manifested between the Earthlings and the Balmerans. Scientists like Sam and Colleen Holt worked tirelessly in their younger days to develop the fast, nearly-constant two-way travel between the planets that was now in place.

Up above, dozens of space crafts flew between the two planets.

A hesitant, heavy tap to his shoulder brought Hunk’s attention back to class, and his thoughtful brown eyes met the soft yellow eyes of Shay, one of his many Balmeran classmates. She nodded towards the front of he classroom, where the instructor was reviewing for their winter final exam. In the row in front of them, Lance was whispering to Katie “Pidge” Holt for help with a math problem. Hunk smiled and continued taking notes, content with Shay at his side.

* * *

The first time he visited the Balmera, he was eight years old and four months. All his life, Hunk had gazed in awe up at the ever-present mass of greens and yellows, wanting to see it for himself. Even as a child, Balmerans and Humans lived in harmony, equally free to travel and live on either homeland. While humans couldn’t directly on the Balmera for an extended period of time due to the different atmosphere, Balmerans adapted perfectly well to Earth’s atmosphere, and many Balmeran families lived on Earth nearly year-round.

Because of where Hunk had lived,  the adults that he saw were kind and interesting, but he’d never personally met any Balmeran children. He wanted more friends. Lance was his best friend, but the Cuban boy often dragged him into mischief and got him in trouble. And Lance had other friends. Hunk only had one.

He had begged his parents to take him to visit the Balmera since he was six, and after two years of waiting and waiting and getting the necessary vaccinations and waiting for the proper spacesuit to be made, Hunk was finally able to visit the mysterious creature as a part of his Spring Break.

The Balmera was new and exciting! He’d never seen so many Balmerans at once before! The land was covered in fields and fields of gorgeous crystals. His heart raced when he spotted a pair of Balmeran playing children on the surface, a boy and a girl near his age, but he was too shy to call out to them. Hunk thought her yellow eyes and gray skin and brown horns were especially pretty for a Balmeran, from those he had seen, and the green dress she wore was very simple and pretty, too. They were playing some game with a small boulder. It looked heavy. The girl’s eyes found Hunk’s for a moment before he was ushered along by his parents to explore with them and not get lost.

He toured the planet with his parents for hours, learning in detail the history and logistics of the Balmera, and even getting to try some authentic Balmeran cuisine. The young Earthling had a wonderful time and couldn’t wait to come back.

* * *

The second time he visited the Balmera, he was eight years old and six months. It was summer now, and this meant more free time to travel. Hunk cried tears of joy when his parents surprised him with their vacation plans. A reward for his stellar grades in school, they said.

Near the Balmera, orbiting in space, is a large spacecraft meant to serve as both a loading dock for smaller transportation space crafts, as well as housing for humans wishing to spend more than a day on the balmera. Hunk and his parents would be spending close to a month up in space.

The first few days of visiting the Balmera this time had been fun and educational, and Hunk was having the time of his life, but he still wanted to have a new friend. His parents agreed to take him to the underground caves, to learn more about the crystals.

There were many Balmeran children wandering about in the caves, some managing to put distance between Hunk and his parents, but they didn’t noticed, chatting with their guide.

The caves were pretty extensive and really, really cool! Hunk wondered how easy it was to get lost in them.

By some stroke of pure luck, he saw that same Balmeran girl from his first visit. The one with the pretty eyes. She was a little taller than him, Hunk noticed, and her features looked very soft, despite how rough he knew Balmerans’ skin were. She appeared to be by herself. The girl’s tail dragged on the ground behind her. Her head was downward. She slowly turned down a different path, into a different tunnel, and Hunk paused, a thought coming to mind before he made a quick decision. _She looked sad._

He followed after her.

In the light of shining crystals, Hunk managed to catch up with her. He called out, “Um! Excuse me? Miss Balmeran Girl?”

She turned around to face him, and her expression lifted, eyes glittering. “Oh!” she exclaimed, hands clasping together and smiling, “You’re that Skyling I saw a few moon phases ago!”

Hunk laughed shyly, stepping closer to her. “Yes. I’m surprised you remembered me!” He raised his hand towards her. “I’m Hunk.”

The Balmeran girl hesitantly laid her large clawed hand over his own, eyes still bright and shining. “Shay.”

* * *

In his room at the Garrison, Hunk grinned fondly at the photo album in his lap while he and Shay took a much needed break from studying. His mother had found the old thing while cleaning the house and had it shipped over to him the previous week. He and Shay had poured over it together, cooing at the dozens and dozens of adorable photos from their childhood together.

The album was so full that it wouldn’t close completely, and the binding was coming apart with age, but the photos were what really mattered. There were so many of Hunk’s family and Shay’s. On Earth, on the Balmera, in the transportation shuttles. Earth Holidays and Balmeran ceremonies. There were so many memories of the two children playing together over the years.

Shay pointed to a photo of a flustered younger Hunk, around age 12, presenting Shay with a bouquet of flowers from Earth, and a tiny Shay had nothing short of awe on her face. It had been for Shay’s birthday. Hunk chuckled at the photo.

“I remember that,” he mused, flipping the page. “I had been so worried about the flowers wilting before I could bring them to you!”

“They were a most lovely gift!” Shay beamed.

Hunk looked at the next photo, an image of Shay and Hunk together in matching Galaxy Garrison uniforms, back when they were 13 years old.

“Remember when you first came to live with us?”

“Oh, yes! For a fortnight I had begged my family to let me pursue an education at the same institute you were to attend! I was so delighted when they finally agreed and I was accepted!”

Hunk hummed. He remembered crying when he learned she’d be attending the same school as him.

It wasn’t uncommon for Balmerans to make a commute to Earth schools and jobs, but mostly it was those living on Earth that were expected to attend. Many humans spent their summers on the Balmera to pursue knowledge of the Balmera, the written language and history. Shay’s family was strict, however, and they were hesitant when it came to Earth customs.

“Heh, yeah. I can’t believe we’ll be graduating from the Garrison at the end of this spring.” Hunk ran finger over the smooth plastic that kept the photos in place.

“I am so glad to have had this experience with you, Hunk,” Shay murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Hunk blushed. He’d always thought Shay’s diction was like poetry, pure music to his ears.

_It is the east, and Shay is the sun._

* * *

At twenty-three, Hunk was proud to say he was an engineer employed under Samuel and Colleen Holt, helping them with their latest tech and inventions, and offering repair services to underprivileged families. His days were long and exhausting, but he loved every minute of it. It was nice that Keith, Shiro, and Lance were around willing to take his latest tinkering for a test flight. And Pidge was always a fun girl to bounce ideas off of.

He was loving the life he made for himself, living not too far from home, not too far from the people he loved.

Hunk walked into the local coffee shop, a place he’d worked at diligently after graduation before being employed by the Holts, and ordered two regular iced coffees. He then beamed as he strolled to the brightly lit business across the street.

Juggling the two coffees in hand, Hunk opened the door to the flower shop with practiced ease, and Hunk laughed fondly at the sunflowers in the window display.

“Hello, Hunk!”

“Hi, Shay!”

His girlfriend stood proudly behind the front counter, adorning a large yellow apron. Carnations sat near the cash register along with a watering can.

While Hunk had been quick to move on from his part time job at the coffee shop, Shay had fallen in love with botany from her classes at the Garrison and from working in this humble shop. The owners adored her and offered her a management position that Shay has loved too much to move on from. She taught classes to kids on the weekend about different plants and how to care for them. She couldn’t ask for more.

Hunk presented her with the coffee like it was the world’s most precious treasure. Shay giggled, kissed his cheek, and took a long sip from the straw. The Earth drink had become a delicacy for her, years ago.

The pair both leaned over the counter, opposite each other, their heads cradled in their hands. Hunk’s grin was wide and Shay’s eyes were like drops of sunlight, and they shared stories from their days in between Shay helping the occasional customer.

Keith had stopped by briefly that morning to look at floral arrangements. His and Shiro’s wedding was just months away. Rax had stopped by to remind her of an important ceremony for the Balmera that was days away. Hunk was excited for it, he loved being able to give back to the Balmera.

Pidge was on the breakthrough of a discovery involving radio chatter. Lance had shouted at Hunk as he’d left to tell Shay hello for him.

When it was closing time, Hunk assisted Shay in closing up shop, and the happy couple headed home to their apartment together, hand in hand, as the sun set in the west. The Balmera glowed in the night sky, still visible, and always beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Happy Holidays!
> 
> I hope this warmed your heart in the cold of winter, or whenever you read this.


End file.
